GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Rogue Action Center teamed up with the Newman United Methodist Church to commemorate the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
The day after five people were killed at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs on November 19th.
The day honors the memories of people who lost their lives due to acts of anti-transgender violence, by murder or suicide. Organizers say this was the first time the day was observed in Grants Pass.
“In preventing violence against trans people and trans suicide we have to be able to acknowledge that it is happening and talk about it, and this is making a little space,” said Eliot Feenstra, with the LGBTQ Listening Project.
“It’s about breaking isolation, bringing people together to share their stories and heal,” said Allison Cleveland, Director of Oregon Anti-Violence Project.
The event brought members of the community together and provided them a safe space to share stories and celebrate their friends and family members.
Feenstra says this year 74 transgender people across the US have been lost due to anti-transgender violence, with some of them happening right here in Southern Oregon.
He says he hopes this is a good step forward for the LGBTQ community in Josephine County.
If you or someone you know is in need of support you can reach out to the trans lifeline at (877) 565-8860.
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